Qples Selects Connect 1-1® to be its Exclusive Agency Partner

Connect 1-1 has been selected by Qples as the exclusive value-added reseller of its strategic coupon platform for advertising, P.R. and shopper marketing agencies.

Branded and sold as Connect 1-1®, the robust coupon platform puts agencies in charge of coupon programs, eliminating third-party vendors and enabling them to create a whole new profit center. The flat rate pricing of the system allows agencies to maximize the agency’s ad spend without the limitations of set up and clip fees that are standard industry practice. Agencies can also rebrand and sell the platform to clients.

Now being used by several Fortune 50 food manufacturers, the Connect 1-1 coupon platform offers a more streamlined and strategic system for agencies to execute far-reaching, multi-tiered coupon campaigns. For a one-time charge and no additional clip fees, agencies can purchase and rebrand the Connect 1-1 platform and use it to control, guide and catapult their clients’ coupon programs to maximize revenues.

“The Connect 1-1 platform is the most strategic and cost-effective option for agencies that are in charge of designing coupon programs for their clients,” said Barb Stabno, Connect1-1 founder and CEO. “Agencies that work with manufacturers can now purchase the platform and offer it as a huge value-add for their clients. Plus, they gain invaluable insights that will inform future programs and media buys.”

Connect 1-1 is the only coupon platform that reports when and where customers engage with coupon offers so agencies can analyze and make smart marketing and advertising decisions. This level of insights on which bloggers, social media posts and digital media buys are the most effective in engaging coupon-clipping consumers is not available from traditional coupon providers.

“Agencies and their clients no longer have to operate in the dark,” Stabno said. “Robust real-time data offer strategic insights into the most cost-effective media buys and top sites where consumers engage with their coupons. Other third-party coupon providers simply can’t offer this window into consumer behavior.”

After researching several different vendors, one leading global communications marketing firm chose Connect 1-1 as their strategic coupon partner, Stabno said. She said the firm was able to use the platform to expand the relationship with a major client, a consumer packaged goods brand; after issuing the first coupons, they gained critical customer relationship data that will inform future coupon programs. They also plan to use the platform to deploy it with their other clients and engage new clients that have similar business goals

"The analytics dashboard of Connect 1-1 is very easy for agencies to use, allowing for real-time programmatic adjustments, which other coupon programs currently don’t offer,” Stabno said. “Plus, the data it collects enables them to gain valuable consumer insights and determine who’s engaging with the coupon.”

Backed by Qples’ robust coupon engine, the Connect 1-1 platform offers the highest standards of security, authentication and fraud protection. Plus, it offers 24/7 access to analytics, enabling agencies to make strategic real-time decisions on behalf of their clients and help them target the right person at the right time in the best channel and at the lowest cost.

“Connect1-1 puts agencies in the driver’s seat of their clients’ coupon business while providing an additional revenue stream,” said Brandi Johnson, CEO of Qples. “Connect1-1 offers robust consumer data that enables agencies to offer critical, cost-saving insights that broaden their expertise in shopper marketing.”

Connect 1-1 coupons are both cost effective and scalable to multiple channels, offering shorter lead-times and higher redemption rates than free-standing inserts (FSIs). Advertisers gain critical insights into the consumer journey, enabling them to craft the most impactful messages, deliver them through the most cost-effective channels and deliver an optimal overall experience that solidifies engagement with their brands.

Digital media ad spending in the U.S. topped $72 billion in 2016 according to eMarketer, which predicts digital ad spending will rise to $113 billion by 2020. According to Forrester, 60 percent of U.S. in-store sales in 2017 will be influenced by digital media. With programmatic advertising, marketers can measure and model data to understand who, when and where their audiences are so they can target them in the future.

Nearly all (96 percent) of consumers use coupons according to RetailMeNot; 91 percent of brand loyal shoppers use coupons and most (52 percent) of consumers print out these coupons according to the media delivery firm Valassis. In fact, the global market research firm GfK found that a whopping 49 percent of consumers report they will gladly switch brands for a coupon.

Leading coupon platforms can share limited data such as impressions, but cannot offer insights into which websites, cities, times of day and media their coupon customers are coming from so advertisers can target the most effective media and sites in the future.

Connect 1-1 coupons are both cost effective and scalable to multiple channels, offering shorter lead-times and higher redemption rates than free-standing inserts (FSIs). Advertisers gain critical insights into the consumer journey, enabling them to craft the most impactful messages, deliver them through the most cost-effective channels and deliver an optimal overall experience that solidifies engagement with their brands.